Georgia History Runs Deep in World Crown 300

It’s World Crown 300 month, and we are counting the days.  Who is going to put their name into the history books as the World Crown 300 winner in a few weeks?  We look back at some stories of old and current news surrounding the World Crown 300.  Cordele Motor Speedway has done a fabulous job in putting on this event that was a staple at the old Peach State / Gresham Motorsports Park. 

The First: Back in 1983, the World Crown 300 was the new kid on the block in the Super Late Model world.  The All Pro Super Series was winding down the 1983 season in which Freddy Fryar was on his way to a series championship. 

Just a week before the Snowball Derby, the World Crown 300 was born at the Georgia International Speedway in Jefferson, Georgia.  The long, cold afternoon gave way to the White Knight as Wisconsin native Dick Trickle won the first World Crown 300.  Trickle won three times in seven races that season as he beat Michigan great Mike Eddy for the win.  Both drivers had just finished a long ASA National Tour battle where Eddy got the better of Trickle for the title.  They settled their 1983 season at the World Crown.  

Georgia Breakthrough:  Bobby Gill became the first driver from the state of Georgia to win the World Crown 300. It was the eighth try for Peach State drivers in their home state, but this time the crown would stay home.  Gill would win again in 1997 to be the first two-time winner; from there on, it opened the floodgates as Georgia drivers have now won 15 of the 30 World Crowns run. 

The Best That Never Did: There is a long list of drivers who have raced the World Crown, but have never tasted victory.  Two of the most notable come from inside the Peach State.  Jody Ridley ran the race eight times, and the best he could muster was a third-place run in 1994.  Rodley did have five runs inside the top 10. 

Another is Bubba Pollard. He’s led the race eight times and has finished second twice.  He’s been on the podium four times in his career and never won the Crown.  Take your pick on which one was more heartbreaking: in 2011 he had the best car and had a battery issue.  In 2014, he had a flat tire after leading inside of 20 to go.  In 2009, Pollard finished the race on his lid in turn one.  

King Kelley: Like the Snowball Derby, there is one guy that has managed to do it better than anyone, and in the World Crown that’s Paul Kelley.  The Pendergrass, GA driver won four times in nine years.  Each of those wins came a different way: one he dominated, one he won in the tech line, and another he stole in the final few laps.  

A Win for the Ages: Ronnie Sanders won in his 13th start at the World Crown 300. It was a combination of two tails, as Sanders hadn’t won in years and he had never been higher than seventh at the World Crown.  People figured the win would have come sooner after he dominated an All Pro race at Peach State Speedway in 1984.  

As the story came together, Sanders was out front in the closing stages, and he finally got his Crown after so many attempts. At the time of his win, he became only the sixth driver to win the Snowball Derby and the World Crown 300.  To this day, Sanders still holds the record for the most starts in the event with 15. 

Don’t forget the World Crown 300 weekend is coming up on October 23rd and October 24th.  The ASA Southern Super Series will also crown the 2026 series champion.  There is a chance that one driver could walk out of the Cordele as winner and champion after 300 laps.